Eat your veggies

The following information is summarized from publications of the Prostate Cancer Foundation.: The Blog and The Science of Living Well BEYOND CANCER.

The Prostate Cancer Foundation emphasizes the importance of brightly colored vegetables forming the core of your diet. Vegetables contain natural compounds that help lower your risk of cancer at a cellular level. Another benefit derives from their high-fiber content.  Fiber feeds the good bacteria naturally living in the intestines.  Eating a healthy mix of plant-based foods can help foster the correct balance of disease-fighting gut bacteria.

Eat real food

Real food has a single ingredient, is unprocessed, is higher in nutrient density, and is usually high in fiber. Increasing evidence suggests that the fiber in food is important for good health.

Eat a variety of foods every day

• Vegetables, especially brightly-colored vegetables – 6-8 cups a day
• Protein, including beans, fish, tofu, or meat – 20-25 grams per meal. The average-sized man or woman needs about 50-60 grams per day.  Examples of 25 grams of protein include: 9 oz. of Tofu, 5 oz. of salmon, 4 eggs, 2 cups of low-fat yogurt, 3.5 oz. of 90% lean grass-fed ground beef.
• “Good fats”, including avocado and olive oil. Use 1-3 tablespoons of these good fats per day, keeping in mind that the fats you are ingesting in your foods per day do “count” for calories ingested.
• Whole grain breads and pastas. Keep the portion sizes small and limit to a few times per week. Also, look for breads with high fiber content.
• Dessert-focus on fruits, nuts, and seeds and limit sugar.
• When thirsty, drink water.

Eat moderately. Controlling the portion size is a way to fend off belly fat. Avoid packaged foods. Read the labels. Reduce sugar. Here are some foods that have a higher sugar content than you might imagine: salad dressings, marinades, tomato sauce, flavored yogurt, granola bars, fruit smoothies/juices, breakfast cereal.  Limit meat and dairy products.

Everything counts.  While there are no shortcuts, or magic pills, every incremental positive change you make contributes to enhanced health. Nutrition research is an evolving field, with thousands of clinical trials and research articles published annually. Keep reading and making healthy choices, to continue to improve your diet and lifestyle.

Prostate Cancer Foundation Blog, July 2021
Prostate Cancer Foundation, The Science of Living Well BEYOND CANCER.